E185.5 
.J65 
na4  1 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  NEGROES  IN 
THE  U.S. 


w 


•  % 


\ 


^ 


^ 


3   •     Pi 


^1 


2.^ 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

llllilililiillililiil 

10001787238 


This  book  is  due  at  the  WALTER  R.  DAVIS  LIBRARY  on 
the  last  date  stamped  under  "Date  Due."  If  not  on  hold  it 
may  be  renewed  by  bringing  it  to  the  library. 


SS7 

ssr 

MAR  1 

2  1996 

w-'" 



Form  Ng.  513. 
,  Rev.  1/84 

THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  JOHN  F.  SLATER  Fl^WtL,'  '"^"^ 


Occasional  Papers,  No.  4 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  NEGROES 

IN  THE 

UNITED  STATES 


BY 


HENRY  GANNETT 


OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  GEOIiOGICAL  StTRVEY 


BALTIMORE 
PUBLISHED   BY  THE  TRUSTEES 

1894 


^ 


Price  $35  Cents. 

For  copies  address  The  Friedenwald  Company,  Baltimoke. 


THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  JOHN  F.  SLATER  FUND 


Occasional  Papers,  No.  4  /'     ^f//:- 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  NEGROES 

IN  THE 

UNITED  STATES 


BY 

HENRY  GANNETT 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


BALTIMORE 
PUBLISHED   BY  THE   TRUSTEES 

1894 


The  statistics  in  the  following  paper  have  been  examined 
by  Hon.  Carroll  D.  Wright,  Superintendent  of  the  Census 
of  the  United  States,  and  are  published  with  his  approba- 
tion. He  was  not  requested  to  express  an  opinion  in  respect 
to  the  author's  views, — nor  has  he  done  so. 


TRUSTEES  OF  THE  FUND. 


Appointed. 

1882.  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  of  Ohio. 

1882.  Morrison  R.  Waite,  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 

1882.  William  E.  Dodge,  of  New  York. 

1882.  Phillips  Brooks,  of  Massachusetts.  t' 

1882.  Daniel  C.  Gilman,  of  Maryland. 

1882.  John  A.  Stewart,  of  New  York. 

1882.  Alfred  H.  Colquitt,  of  Georgia.  ' 

1882.  Morris  K.  Jesup,  of  New  York. 

1882.  James  P.  Boyce,  of  Kentucky. 

1882.  William  A.  Slater,  of  Connecticut. 

Elected. 

1883.  William  E.  Dodge,  Jr.,  of  New  York. 

1888.  Melville  W.  Fuller,  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 

1889.  John  A.  Broadus,  of  Kentucky. 
1889.  Henry  C.  Potter,  of  New  York. 

1891.-  J.  L.  M.  Curry,  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 

1894.  William  J.  Northen,  of  Georgia. 

1894.  Ellison  Capers,  of  South  Carolina. 

1894.  C.  B.  Galloway,  of  Mississippi. 


^893. 

^888. 
■  1883. 


1894. 


From  1882  to  1891,  the  General  Agent  of  the  Trust  was  Rev.  A. 
G.  Haygood,  D.  D.,  of  Georgia,  who  resigned  the  office  when  he 
became  a  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South.  Since 
1891,  the  duties  of  a  General  Agent  have  been  discharged  by  Dr. 
J.  L.  M.  Curry,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  Chairman  of  the  Educational 
Committee. 


Died  in  office. 


Resigned. 


ANNOUNCEMENT. 


The  Trustees  of  the  John  P.  Slater  Fund  propose  to  publish  from  time  to 
time  papers  that  relate  to  the  education  of  the  colored  race.  These  papers 
are  designed  to  furnish  information  to  those  who  are  concerned  in  the 
administration  of  schools,  and  also  to  those  who  by  their  oflBcial  stations  are 
called  upon  to  act  or  to  advise  in  respect  to  the  care  of  such  institutions. 

The  Trustees  believe  that  the  experimental  period  in  the  education  of 
the  blacks  is  drawing  to  a  close.  Certain  principles  that  were  doubted  thirty 
years  ago  now  appear  to  be  generally  recognized  as  sound.  In  the  next 
thirty  years  better  systems  will  undoubtedly  prevail,  and  the  aid  of  the 
separate  States  is  likely  to  be  more  and  more  freely  bestowed.  There  will 
also  be  abundant  room  for  continued  generosity  on  the  part  of  individuals 
and  associations.  It  is  to  encourage  and  assist  the  workers  and  the  thinkers 
that  these  papers  will  be  published. 

Each  paper,  excepting  the  first  number  (made  up  chiefly  of  official  docu- 
ments), will  be  the  utterance  of  the  writer  whose  name  is  attached  to  it, 
the  Trustees  disclaiming  in  advance  all  responsibility  for  the  statement  of 
facts  and  opinions 


A  STATISTICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  NEGROES 
IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


INTRODUCTION. 
From  the  time  of  the  earliest  settlements  upon  these  shores, 
the  United  States  has  contained  two  elements  of  population 
the  white  race  and  the  negro  race.  These  two  races  have 
together  peopled  this  country,  increasing  partly  by  acces- 
sions to  their  numbers  from  abroad  and  partly  by  natural 
increase,  until  to-day  (1894)  the  white  race  numbers  probably 
61,000,000  and  the  negroes  8,000,000.  The  history  of  the 
latter  race,  thus  brought  into  close  association  with  a  more 
civilized  and  stronger  people  for  two  and  three-fourths  cen- 
turies, is  one  of  surpassing  interest.  Unfortunately,  however, 
this  history,  for  the  earlier  part  of  the  period,  is,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  fragments,  utterly  lost.  For  the  last 
century,  however,  since  the  year  1790,  the  date  of  the  first 
United  States  census,  we  have,  at  ten-year  intervals,  pictures 
of  the  distribution  of  the  race,  and  considerable  information 
regarding  its  social  condition. 

Slave  Trade. 

The  slave  trade  flourished  actively  up  to  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  and  indeed  it  did  not  entirely  cease  until  the 
year  1808.  It  was  mainly  in  the  hands  of  the  English, 
including  their  North  American  colonies.  It  was  a  large 
and  flourishing  business  for  the  ship-owners  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  the  wealth  of  many  of  the  families  of  those  colonies 
originated  in  this  traffic. 

5 


6  STATISTICAL   SKETCH   OF   THE  NEGROES   IN    U.   S. 

Of  the  number  of  slaves  brought  from  Africa  to  this  coun- 
try, either  directly  or  by  way  of  the  West  India  Islands,  we 
have  very  little  information.  Prior  to  1788  there  are  no 
records,  and  since  that  time  the  records  of  the  slave  trade  do 
not  distinguish  between  the  slaves  brought  to  the  United 
States  and  those  to  other  parts  of  America. 

Of  the  number  of  slaves  in  this  country  in  colonial  times 
the  information  is  almost  equally  scanty,  consisting  of  little 
more  than  estimates  by  different  historical  writers.  Of  these, 
Bancroft's  are  perhaps  as  reliable  as  any.  His  estimates 
of  the  number  of  negroes  at  difierent  times  are  as  follows : 

1750 220,000 

1754 260,000 

1760 310,000 

1770 462,000 

1780 562,000 

Numbers  of  Each  Race. 

In  1790  we  have  the  first  reliable  data  regarding  the 
number  and  distribution  of  the  negroes.  The  total  number 
of  each  race  at  this  and  each  succeeding  decennial  enumera- 
tion is  shown  in  the  following  table  : 

CENSUS  YEAR.  WHITE.  NEGRO. 

1790 3,172,006  757,208 

1800  4,306,446  1,002,037 

1810  5,862,073  1,377,808 

1820  7,862,166  1,771,656 

1830 10,537,378  2,328,642 

1840 14,195,805  2,873,648 

1850 19,553,068  3,638,808 

1860 26,922,537  4,441,830 

1870 33,589,377  4,880,009 

1880 43,402,970  6,580,793 

1890 54,983,890  7,470,040 

From  this  it  appears  that  the  whites  have  increased  in  a 
century  from  a  little  over  3,000,000  to  nearly  55,000,000, 
and  the  negroes  from  three-fourths  of  a  million  to  about 
seven  and  one-half  millions.  The  whites  were  in  1890  nearly 
eighteen  times  as  numerous  as  in  1790,  the  negroes  nearly 
ten  times  as  numerous. 


PROPORTIONS    OF    EACH    RACE.  7 

The  diagram  constituting  Plate  I  presents  the  same  facts 
in  graphic  form.  In  each  case  the  total  length  of  the  bar  is 
proportional  to  the  total  population  in  the  year  indicated. 
The  white  portion  of  each  bar  represents  the  white  popula- 
tion of  the  country,  while  the  shaded  portion  represents  the 
negro  population. 

The  tables  and  diagram  illustrate  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
country  in  population,  both  of  its  white  and  its  negro  ele- 
ment. 

Proportions  of  Each  Race. 

The  following  table  shows  the  proportions  in  which  the 
total  population  was  made  up  of  these  two  elements  at  each 
census,  expressed  in  percentages  of  the  total  population : 

CENSUS.  WHITE.  NEGRO. 

1790 80.73  19.27 

1800 81.12  18.88 

1810 80.97  19.03 

1820 81.61  18.39 

1830 81.90  18.10 

1840 83.16  16.84 

1850 84.31  15.69 

I860 85.62  14.13 

1870 87.11  12.66 

1880 86.54  13.12 

1890 87.80  11.93 

This  table  and  Plate  II  show  that  on  the  whole  the 
negroes  have  diminished  decidedly  in  proportion  to  the 
whites.  In  1790  they  formed  19.27  per  cent,  or  very 
nearly  one-fifth  of  the  whole  population.  At  the  end  of  this 
century  they  constituted  only  11.93  per  cent.,  or  less  than 
one-eighth  of  the  population.  At  the  end  of  the  century 
their  proportion  was  less  than  two-thirds  as  large  as  at  this 
beginning.  Moreover,  this  diminution  in  the  proportion  has 
been  almost  unbroken  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the 
century.  The  proportion  of  the  negroes  has  apparently 
increased  in  only  two  out  of  the  eleven  censuses,  namely  in 
1810,  immediately  after  the  cessation  of  the  slave  trade,  and 
in  1880.     I  say  apparently,  because  in  the  latter  case  the 


STATISTICAL   SKETCH    OF  THE  NEGROES   IX   U.  S. 


iDcrease  is  only  apparent,  due  to  a  deficient  enumeration  of 
this  race  in  the  census  preceding,  namely,  that  of  1870. 

Rates  of  Increase. 
The  following  table  and  the  diagram  accompanying  it 
show  the  rates  of  increase  of  the  negroes  during  each  of  the 
ten-year  periods  for  the  last  century,  and  placed  in  juxtapo- 
sition therewith  for  comparison  are  the  rates  of  increase  of 
the  whites  of  the  entire  country. 


PEBOBNTAGE  OP  INCREASE. 


DECADE. 

1790  to  1800  . 
1800  to  1810  . 
1810  to  1820  . 
1820  to  1830  . 
1830  to  1840  . 
1840  to  1850  . 
1850  to  1860  . 
1860  to  1870  . 
1870  to  1880  . 
1880  to  1890  . 

Rates  of  Increase  of  White  and  Negro  Population. 
Per  Cent. 


■WUITE. 

NEGKO. 

35.76 

32.33 

36.12 

37.50 

34.12 

28.59 

34.03 

31.44 

34.72 

23.40 

37.74 

26.63 

37.69 

22.07 

24.76 

9.86 

29.22 

34.85 

26.68 

13.51 

40 
30 

y 

^ 

m 

^ 

^^ 

^ 

H 

n 

J20 

^ 

^ 

H 

F 

H 

JD 

— ^ 

^  i 


OO      CO 

3 


00      00 

i   i 


TOTAL  POPULATION  AND  WHITE  AND  NEGRO  ELEMENTS. 
Millions. 
,ffl W, 


PROPORTION  OF  THE  NEGRO  ELEMENT  TO  THE  TOTAL 
POPULATION. 

Per  cent. 


9 

10 

2 

1790 

».»».„                                 ■ 

1800 

1810 

■ 

1820 

^^M 

^ 

^^^m 

1830 

^S 

B 

^^^^ff 

ISJfO 
1850 

sz 

ffl 

^^^^ 

BS 

ffl 

1ST 

^T  r 

"HTTT 

^w 

1860 
1870 
1880 
1890 

1 

v/ 


RATES   OF  INCREASE.  9 

This  table  and  diagram  show  that,  with  the  exception  of 

ZVT'J!Z  ^f'''^''  °^"''^^''  *^^'"  ^^«^  ^800  to  1810  and 
1870  to  1880  the  negro  element  has  in  every  case  increased 
at  a  less  rapid  rate  than  the  white  element,  and  in  many 
cases  Its  rate  of  increase  has  been  very  much  smaller 

Thus  a  comparison  of  the  numerical  progress  of  the 
negroes  with  that  of  the  whites  in  the  country,  as  a  whole, 
shows  that  the  former  have  not  held  their  own,  but  have 
constant  y  fallen  behind.  They  have  not  increased  as  rapid^ 
as  the  whites.  ^     ^ 

It  may  be  said  that  this  is  due  to  the  enormous  immigra- 
tion which  certain  parts  of  the  country  has  received,  an  immi- 
gration composed  entirely  of  whites.     This  suggestion  can 
easily  be  tested.     White  immigration  on  a  considLble  scale 
began  about  1847      Prior  to  that  time  it  was  not  of  im;rrt! 
ance.     We  may  then  divide  the  century  into  two  equal  parts 
and  contrast  the  relative  rates  of  increase  of  the  races  during 
those  half-centuries.      Between  1790  and  1840  the  whites 
increased  4  5  times,   the  negroes  3.8    times.      The  latter 
element  bad  diminished  in  relative  importance  in  this  half- 
century  from  about  one-fifth  of  the  population  to  one-sixth. 
In  the  succeeding  fifty  years  the  whites  had  increased  3.9 
times  and  the  colored  2.6  times  only.     In  other  words,  the 
greater  increase  of  the  whites  has  not  been  dependent  upon 
immigration,  since  their  rate  of  increase  was  greater  than 
tnat  ot  the  negroes  before  immigration  set  in. 

These  figures    and   the  conclusions  necessarily  derived 

possible  conflict  between  the  two  races.  We  hale  before  us 
the  testimony  of  a  century  to  show  us  that  the  negroes,  while 
m  no  danger  of  extinction,  while  increasing  at  a  rate  prob- 
ably more  rapid  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  earth,  are  yet 
increasing  less  rapidly  than  the  white  people  of  the  country 
and  to  demonstrate  that  the  latter  will  become  more  and 
more  numerically  the  dominant  race  in  America.  Whether 
the  negro  will,  through  an  improvement  in  his  social  condi- 


10        STATISTICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   NEGROES    IN    U.    S. 

tion,  become  of  greater  importance  relatively  to  his  numbers 
is  a  matter  to  be  discussed  later. 

Center  of  Population. 

The  center  of  population,  as  it  is  called,  may  be  described 
as  the  center  of  gravity  of  the  inhabitants  as  they  are  distrib- 
uted at  the  time  under  consideration,  each  inhabitant  being 
supposed  to  have  the  same  weight  and  to  press  downwards 
with  a  force  proportional  to  his  distance  from  this  center. 

The  center  of  population  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
United  States  has  been  computed  for  each  census.  At  the 
time  of  the  first  census,  in  1790,  the  center  of  population 
was  found  to  be  in  Maryland,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  nearly  opposite  Baltimore.  The  general  west- 
ward movement  of  population  has  caused  a  corresponding 
westward  movement  of  this  center,  such  movement  following 
very  nearly  the  line  of  the  39th  parallel  of  north  latitude. 
In  1880  the  center  of  the  total  population  was  found  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  nearly  opposite  Cincinnati,  and 
in  1890  it  was  found  in  southern  Indiana,  twenty  miles  east 
of  Columbus,  in  latitude  39=12'  and  in  longitude  85°33'. 

The  center  of  the  negro  population  has  been  computed  in 
1880  and  in  1890.  At  the  first  of  these  dates  it  was  found 
in  latitude  34°42'  and  in  longitude  84°58'.  This  position  is 
in  the  uorthwe^ern  corner  of  Georgia,  not  far  from  Dalton. 
In  1890  it  was  found  to  have  moved  south  westward  into 
latitude  34°26'  and  longitude  85°  18',  being  not  far  from  the 
boundary  between  Alabama  .and  Georgia  and  a  few  miles 
west  of  Rome,  Ga.  The  longitude  of  the  center  of  the  negro 
population  was  very  nearly  the  same  as  that  of  the  total 
population,  but  in  latitude  it  was  nearly  five  degrees,  or  more 
than  300  miles  south  of  it.  The  positions  of  the  center  of 
total  population  and  of  the  negro  population  in  1880  and  in 
1890  are  shown  upon  the  map  which  constitutes  Plate  VI. 

The  movements  of  the  center  of  population  are  the  net 
resultant  of  all  the  movements  of  population.     During  the 


FREE   NEGROES   AND   SLAVES.  11 

past  decade  the  negroes  have  moved  in  all  directions,  north, 
south,  east,  and  west,  but,  as  indicated  by  the  movement  of 
the  center,  the  net  resultant  of  their  movements  has  been 
toward  the  southwest.  As  a  whole  this  element  moved  in  a 
southwesterly  direction  a  distance  of  about  25  miles. 

Free  Negroes  and  Slaves. 

Prior  to  1870  the  negro  element,  as  returned  by  the  suc- 
cessive censuses,  was  made  up  of  two  parts,  free  negroes  and 
slaves.  The  proportions  of  these  elements  differed  at  differ- 
ent times,  as  is  shown  by  the  first  column  in  the  following 
table. 

Per  cent,  which  Per  cent,  of  all  Per  cent,  of  all 

free  negroes  bore  free  negroes  found  free  negroes  found 

to  all  negroes,  in  former  slave  states  in  free  states. 

1790  ....    8.  55  45 

1800.   .   .   .11.  56  44 

1810 ....  13.5  58  42 

1820  ....  13.  57  43 

1830 ....  14.  57  43 

1840 ....  13.  56  44 

1850 ....  12.  55  45 

1860 ....  11.  54  46 

From  this  it  appears  that  the  free  negroes  constituted  in 
1790  only  8  per  cent,  of  all  negroes,  that  the  proportion  in- 
creased rapidly  to  1830,  when  they  constituted  not  less  than 
14  per  cent.,  and  from  that  time  the  proportion  diminished 
until  in  1860  they  constituted  11  per  cent,  of  all  negroes. 

Moreover,  the  proportions  of  the  free  negroes  found  within 
the  slave  states  and  the  free  states  differed  at  different  times, 
as  is  shown  by  the  second  and  third  columns  of  the  above 
table.  The  second  column  shows  that  on  the  whole  consid- 
erably more  than  half  of  the  free  negroes  were  found  within 
the  former  slave  states  and  less  than  one-half  within  the  free 
states,  and  that  the  proportion  of  free  negroes  which  were 
found  in  the  former  slave  states  ranged  from  54  per  cent. 
in  1860  to  58  per  cent,  in  1810. 

Distribution  of  the  Negro  Element. 
The  negroes  are  distributed  very  unequally  over  the  coun- 
try.    While  they  are  found  in  every  state  and  territory  and 


12         STATISTICAL   SKETCH   OF   THE   NEGROES   IN   U.  S. 

in  almost  every  county  of  the  land,  the  vast  body  of  them 
are  found  in  the  southern  states,  in  those  states  lying  south 
of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  the  Ohio  river,  the  northern 
boundary  of  Missouri,  and  westward  as  far  as  Texas  and 
Arkansas.  The  two  maps  upon  Plate  III  illustrate  their 
distribution,  state  by  state,  over  the  country.  One  of  these 
maps  shows  their  density,  that  is,  the  average  number  in 
each  square  mile.  It  is  an  absolute  measure  of  their  num- 
bers in  diflferent  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  seen  that  they 
are  the  most  plentiful  in  Maryland,  Virginia,  South  Carolina, 
and  Mississippi,  and  secondarily  in  North  Carolina,  Tennes- 
see, Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Louisiana.  On  the  other  hand, 
in  nearly  all  the  northern  and  western  states  they  are  very 
sparsely  distributed,  there  being  in  these  states,  with  scarcely 
an  exception,  less  than  four  of  them  to  a  square  mile,  while 
in  many  of  them  there  is  less  than  one  to  a  square  mile. 

The  other  map  shows  the  proportion  which  the  negro 
element  bears  to  the  total  population,  state  by  state.  This 
is  a  measure  of  its  importance  relative  to  the  whites. 
From  this  map  it  is  seen  that  in  three  states,  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  and  South  Carolina,  more  than  half  the  people 
are  negroes.  Indeed,  in  South  Carolina  three  out  of  every 
five  of  the  inhabitants  are  of  this  race.  It  is  seen  further 
that  in  all  the  states  along  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf,  from  Vir- 
ginia to  Louisiana,  together  with  Arkansas,  more  than  one- 
fourth  of  the  people  are  negroes,  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
throughout  the  entire  north  and  west  the  proportion  of 
negroes  is  less  than  five  per  cent.,  and  in  many  of  the  states 
it  is  less  than  one  per  cent,  of  the  total  population. 

Proportion  of  the  Negroes  in  the  Slave  States. 

The  distribution  of  the  negro  race  may  be  still  more  closely 
characterized  by  the  statement  that  in  1890  there  were  found 
in  the  former  slave  states  not  less  than  92  per  cent,  of 
all  negroes.  This  proportion  has  differed  at  diflferent  times 
during  the  last  century,  as  is  shown  in  the  following  table. 


PROPORTION  OF  NEGROES  TO  TOTAL  POPULATION  IN  i8qo 


1 

COLO. 
N.M. 

NEBR.  Y 

z?T-\rjA^- v^''  1 

/       \  OHIO  A,,^.-;^;^^ 

KANS. 

MO  )      V'^l  J  ^^  A 

1    p^TER. 
TEXAS 

V 

Less  than  5%  [^    5-25  [~~]      ^5-50  ^  Over  50 


DENSITY  OF  NEGRO  POPULATION  IN   1890 


Less  than,  to  sq.m.j-]      -4  IH     4- 


8-. 5 


15-25 


THE  NEGROES   OF  THE  SLAVE   STATES.  13 

PROPORTION  OF  TOTAL  NSQBO  ELEMENT  COMPRISED  IN  FORMER  SLAVE  STATES. 
YEAR.                                                                                                                                     PER  CENT. 
1790 91 

1800 91 

1810 92 

1820 93 

1830 93 

1840 94 

1850 95 

1860 95 

1870 93 

1880 93 

1890 92 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  at  the  commencement 
of  this  history  the  former  slave  states  contained  91  per  cent, 
of  the  negroes  of  the  country.  As  time  wore  on  this  propor- 
tion increased  until  in  1850  and  1860  they  comprised  95  per 
cent.,  or  nineteen-twentieths  of  all,  while  since  that  date,  L  e. 
during  the  period  of  freedom  of  the  race,  it  has  shown  a  slight 
tendency  northward,  the  proportion  in  the  former  slave  states 
having  become  reduced,  as  above  stated,  to  92  per  cent. 

The  Negroes  of  the  Slave  States. 

In  the  above  pages  the  history  of  the  negroes  has  been 
traced  in  a  broad  general  way  and  compared  with  that  of  the 
entire  population  and  the  white  element  of  the  country. 
The  history  is  more  or  less  complicated  with  the  results  of 
immigration,  and  with  other  disturbing  factors,  which  have 
affected  mainly  the  north  and  west.  We  may  now  without 
serious  error  confine  our  study  of  the  race  to  the  southern 
states,  the  former  slaveholding  states,  in  which  are  found 
more  than  nine-tenths  of  the  whole  number  of  the  negroes. 
The  movement  of  these  people  from  the  south  into  the  north 
has  been  inconslderabl  ,  and  there  has  been  but  little  move- 
ment of  the  whites  in  either  direction  across  the  boundary 
line  between  the  sections.  The  south  has  received  little  im- 
migration either  from  the  north  or  from  Europe,  and  the 
emigration  from  it  has  been  unimportant.  So  far  as  emigra- 
tion and  immigration  are  concerned  it  has  been  throughout 


14         STATISTICAL   SKETCH   OF  THE   NEGROES   IN    U.  S. 

our  history  almost  isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  So 
we  may  without  serious  error  study  the  relations  of  the  whites 
and  blacks  of  this  region  by  itself,  without  reference  to  other 
parts  of  the  country. 

Proportions  of  the  Races. 

The  following  table  and  accompanying  diagram  (Plate  IV) 
show  the  proportions  in  which  the  population  of  this  part  of 
the  United  States  was  composed  at  each  census  for  the  past 
hundred  years. 

PROPORTIONS  IN  WHICH  THE  POPULATION  OF  FORMER  SLAVE  STATES  WAB 
MADE  UP. 

WHITE.        NEORO. 

1790 65  35 

1800 65  35 

1810 63  37 

1820 63  37 

1830 63  37 

1840 63  37 

1850 64  36 

1860 66  34 

1870 68  32 

1880 67  33 

1890 69  31 

It  appears  from  the  above  table  that  a  century  ago  the 
population  of  the  South  was  made  up  of  whites  and  negroes 
in  the  proportions  of  65  and  35  per  cent.,  and  that  in  1890 
the  proportions  were  69  and  31  per  cent.  The  proportion 
of  negroes  increased  from  1790  to  1810,  when  it  reached  37 
per  cent.,  leaving  only  63  per  cent,  as  the  proportion  of  the 
whites,  and  remained  practically  stationary  for  three  decades. 
Since  1840  the  proportion  of  negroes  has  diminished. 

Rates  of  Increase. 

The  following  table,  showing  the  rates  of  increase  of  the 
two  races  for  each  ten-year  period  during  the  past  century, 
leads  to  a  similar  conclusion,  that  is,  that  for  a  half-century 
the  negroes  increased  more  rapidly  than  the  whites,  while 
during  the  last  half-century  they  have  increased  less  rapidly. 


PROPORTION  OF  NEGROES  TO  TOTAL  POPULATION 


Proportion  which  negroes  of  former  slave  states  bore  to 
population  of  those  states. 

Per  cent. 
10  20  30 


1790 
1800 
1810 
1820 
1830 
ISJtO 
1850 
1860 
1870 
1880 
1890 


PLATE  IV. 

40 


THE   NEGROES   IN   CITIES.  15 

BATES  OF  INCREASE  OF  WHITE  AND  NEGRO  ELEMENTS  OF  FORMER  SLAVE  STATES. 

WHITE.        NEGRO. 

1790  to  1800 34  33 

1800  to  1810 30  39 

1810  to  1820 28  30 

1820  to  1830 29  32 

1830  to  1840 27  24 

1840  to  1850 34  27 

1850  to  1860 30  22 

1860  to  1870 17  8 

1870  to  1880 33  34 

1880  to  1890 24  13 

The  Negroes  in  Cities. 

It  is  well  known  that  as  the  population  of  a  state  or 
country  increases,  such  increase  goes  in  constantly  rising 
proportion  into  its  cities;  in  other  words,  that  urban  popu- 
lation increases  at  a  more  rapid  rate  than  the  total  popula- 
tion, especially  after  the  population  has  passed  a  certain 
average  density.  This  country  presents  an  excellent  example 
of  this  tendency  of  population  towards  the  cities.  At  the 
time  of  the  first  census  only  3|  per  cent,  of  the  total  popu- 
lation was  in  cities  of  8000  inhabitants  or  more,  while  in 
1890,  a  century  later,  the  proportion  in  cities  had  increased 
to  over  29  per  cent.  The  total  population  of  the  country 
had  become  very  nearly  16  times  as  great,  while  its  urban 
element  had  become  139  times  as  great.  The  latter  had 
increased  more  than  8  times  as  rapidly  as  the  former. 

Having  thus  illustrated  the  general  tendency  of  the  people 
towards  cities,  it  will  be  instructive  to  see  how  the  negroes 
have  behaved  in  this  regard.  In  measuring  their  appetency 
for  urban  life  I  shall  consider  only  the  population  of  the 
former  slave  states,  and  shall  contrast  the  negro  with  the 
white  element  of  those  states  in  this  regard.  I  shall  follow 
the  practice  of  the  Census  Office  also  in  considering  as  urban 
the  inhabitants  of  cities  of  8000  or  more. 

In  cities  of  8000  inhabitants  or  more  there  were  found  in 
1860  only  4.2  per  cent,  of  the  negroes  of  these  states,  while 
of  the  whites  10.9  per  cent,  were  found  at  that  time  in  these 


16         STATISTICAL   SKETCH    OF  THE   NEGROES   IN    U.  S. 

cities.  The  violent  social  changes  attendant  upon  the  war 
produced,  among  other  results,  an  extensive  migration  of 
negroes  to  the  cities,  so  that  in  1870  the  proportion  of  them 
found  in  cities  had  more  than  doubled,  being  no  less  than 
8.5  per  cent.,  while  of  the  whites  there  were  found  13.1  per 
cent.  In  1880  the  proportion  of  negroes  in  cities  had  dimin- 
ished to  8.4  per  cent.,  while  that  of  the  whites  had  also  dimin- 
ished, being  12.4  per  cent. 

The  census  of  1890  shows  a  decided  increase  in  the  pro- 
portion of  each  race  in  the  cities,  that  of  the  negroes  being  12 
per  cent,  and  that  of  the  whites  being  15.7  per  cent. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  proportion  of  the  negroes  in  the 
cities  has  in  every  case  been  less  than  that  of  the  whites,  but 
that  they  have  gained  upon  the  whites  in  this  regard.  This 
gain  is,  however,  very  slight  and  is  probably  not  significant. 
While  the  negro  is  extremely  gregarious  and  is  by  that 
instinct  drawn  toward  the  great  centers  of  population,  on  the 
other  hand  he  is  not  fitted  either  by  nature  or  education  for 
those  vocations  for  the  pursuit  of  which  men  collect  in  cities, 
that  is,  for  manufactures  and  commerce.  The  inclinations 
of  this  race,  drawn  from  its  inheritance,  tend  to  keep  it 
wedded  to  the  soil,  and  the  probabilities  are  that  as  cities 
increase  in  these  states  in  number  and  size,  and  with  them 
manufactures  and  commerce  develop,  the  great  body  of  the 
negroes  will  continue  to  remain  aloof  from  them  and  culti- 
vate the  soil  as  heretofore. 

Geographical  Distribution. 

The  geographical  environment  of  the  negro  has  been  made 
a  subject  of  careful  study  by  the  Census  Office,  and  many 
interesting  facts  regarding  its  distribution  with  reference  to 
topography,  altitude,  rainfall,  and  temperature  have  been 
developed. 

It  is  found  that  more  than  1 7  per  cent,  of  them  live  in  the 
low,  swampy  regions  of  the  Atlantic  coast  and  in  the  alluvial 
region  in  the  Mississippi  valley.     This  proportion  contrasts 


GEOGRAPHICAL   DISTRIBUTION.  17 

sharply  with  that  of  the  total  population,  of  which  only  4 
per  cent,  are  found  in  these  regions.  Upon  the  Atlantic  plain 
the  proportion  of  negroes  is  also  much  greater  than  that  of 
the  total  population,  and,  generally  speaking,  it  may  be  said 
that  they  seek  low,  moist  regions  and  avoid  mountainous 
country.  This  peculiarity  of  their  distribution  is  brought 
out  more  forcibly  in  their  distribution  with  reference  to 
elevation  above  sea-level.  At  an  altitude  less  than  100  feet 
above  the  sea  there  are  found  nearly  one-fourth  of  the 
negroes,  while  only  about  one-sixth  of  the  total  population 
is  in  these  regions.  Below  500  feet  are  found  seven-tenths, 
while  nearly  two-fifths  of  the  total  population  are  found  at 
this  altitude.  Again,  below  1000  feet  there  are  found  94.5 
per  cent,  of  all  the  negroes  of  the  country,  while  of  the  total 
population  there  are  found  only  77  per  cent,  below  that 
altitude. 

It  is,  of  course,  well  known  that  the  negroes  prefer  higher 
temperatures  than  the  white  race.  A  measure  of  this  is  given 
by  the  statement  that  while  the  total  population  lives,  on  an 
average,  under  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  53  degrees 
Fah.,  that  under  which  the  negro  lives  is,  on  an  average,  61 
degrees,  or  not  less  than  8  degrees  higher.  The  great  body 
of  the  negroes  live  where  the  mean  annual  temperature 
ranges  from  55  degrees  to  70  degrees,  very  nearly  85  per  cent, 
of  this  element  being  found  within  the  region  thus  defined. 

Nothing  perhaps  more  sharply  characterizes  the  difference 
in  the  habitat  of  the  negroes  and  the  element  of  foreign  birth 
than  the  difference  in  temperature  conditions  under  which 
they  are  found,  a  difference  which  may  be  characterized  by  the 
following  statement:  In  those  regions  where  the  annual 
temperature  exceeds  55  degrees  are  found  seven-eighths  of 
the  negroes.  On  the  other  hand,  in  those  regions  where  the 
temperature  is  less  than  55  degrees  are  found  nine-tenths  of 
the  foreign-born. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  relations  between  the 
distribution  of  population  and  rainfall  over  the  surface  of  the 


18         STATISTICAL    SKETCH    OF   THE    NEGROES    IX    U.  S. 

country  are  aware  that  the  great  body  of  the  negroes  is  found 
in  regions  of  heavy  rainfall.  Indeed,  more  than  nine-tenths 
of  their  numbers  are  found  where  it  exceeds  40  inches 
annually,  and  more  than  three-fifths  where  it  exceeds  50 
inches.  These  figures  are  greatly  in  excess  of  those  concern- 
ing the  total  population. 

History  of  the  Negro  in  each  Slave  State. 

Thus  far  the  distribution  and  history  of  the  race  have  been 
considered  broadly.  It  will  now  be  of  interest  to  take  up  each 
of  the  former  slav^e  states  individually  and  trace  the  history 
of  the  race  within  its  limits.  This  is  summarized  in  the  fol- 
lowing table  and  group  of  diagrams  (Plate  V),  which  present 
in  each  of  the  former  slave  states  the  proportion  which  the 
negro  element  bore  to  the  total  population  at  each  census. 

For  economy  of  space  the  black  bars  representing  the  pro- 
portions in  the  diagrams  are  not  extended  to  their  full  length, 
so  the  lengths  of  the  bars  do  not  represent  the  absolute  per- 
centage which  the  negroes  bear  to  the  total  population. 
Since  we  are  interested  mainly  in  the  relative  lengths  of  the 
different  bars  of  each  state,  and  not  in  comparing  those  of  one 
state  with  those  of  another,  this  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence. 

In  Delaware  the  proportion  of  negroes  in  1790  was  about 
22  per  cent.  This  proportion  increased  gradually  until 
1840,  when  it  was  25  per  cent.  Since  then  it  has  diminished 
and  in  1890  was  about  17  per  cent.  In  Maryland  over  one- 
third  of  the  population  were  negroes  in  1790.  The  propor- 
tion increased  and  reached  a  maximum  in  1810,  when  it  was 
38  per  cent.  Since  then  it  has  diminished,  and  in  1890  was 
but  21  per  cent.  In  the  District  of  Columbia  the  proportion 
of  negroes  in  1800,  the  first  year  of  record,  was  about  29  per 
cent.  It  reached  its  maximum  with  33  per  cent,  in  1810, 
and  from  that  time  steadily  diminished  until  the  opening  of 
the  Civil  "War.  In  1860  the  proportion  was  19  per  cent. 
During  the  war  large  numbers  of  negroes  took  refuge  within 
the  Capital,  increasing  the  proportion  to  about  one-third  of 
the  total  population,  which  ratio  has  been  maintained. 


HISTORY   OF  THE   XEGRO   IN   EACH   SLAVE  STATE.       19 

In  Kentucky  one-sixth  of  the  population  were  negroes  in 
1790.  The  proportion  increased  until  1830,  when  it  was 
about  one-fourth  of  the  population,  since  which  time  it  has 
diminished  and  is  at  present  but  14  per  cent. 

In  Tennessee  only  one-tenth  of  the  population  were  negroes 
at  the  time  of  the  first  census.  That  proportion  steadily 
increased  for  90  years,  reaching  its  maximum  in  1880,  when 
it  slightly  exceeded  one-fourth  of  the  population.  In  the 
last  ten  years  it  has  diminished  a  trifle. 

The  first  report  of  population  regarding  Missouri  was 
made  in  1810.  At  that  time  about  one-sixth  of  the  inhab- 
itants were  negroes.  In  1830  the  proportion  was  slightly 
greater.  Since  then  it  has  diminished  rapidly  and  in  1890 
the  negroes  constituted  less  than  6  per  cent,  of  the  population. 

In  the  state  of  Virginia  the  negroes  constituted  in  1790 
not  less  than  41  per  cent,  of  the  inhabitants,  and  their  pro- 
portion increased  slightly  for  20  years,  reaching  a  maximum 
in  1810  of  over  43  per  cent.  Since  that  time  it  has  dimin- 
ished steadily  and  in  1890  constituted  but  27J  per  cent., 
taking  the  states  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia  together. 

All  the  above  are  border  states,  and  all,  with  the  exception 
of  Tennessee  and  the  District  of  Columbia,  show  a  similar 
history.  They  show  an  increase  in  the  proportion  for  two, 
three,  or  four  of  the  earlier  decades,  and  then  a  constant  and 
great  diminution  in  the  proportion.  The  other  states  show 
a  very  different  history.  North  Carolina,  starting  with  27 
per  cent.,  has  increased  slowly  and  with  some  slight  oscilla- 
tions up  to  1880,  when  the  proportion  reached  38  per  cent. 
In  the  last  decade  it  has  diminished.  South  Carolina,  start- 
ing with  44  per  cent.,  increased  her  proportion  until  1880, 
when  more  than  three-fifths  of  the  population  were  negroes. 
Since  then  there  has  been  a  trifling  diminution.  Georgia 
started  with  36  per  cent.,  and  with  some  slight  oscillations 
continued  to  increase  until  1880.  Within  the  last  ten  years 
there  has  been  a  slight  reduction.  In  Florida  the  oscilla- 
tions have  been  considerable.     The  history  commenced  with 


20        STATISTICAL  SKETCH   OF  THE   NEGROES   IN   U.  S. 

1830,  when  47  per  cent,  of  the  population  were  negroes.     It 
reached  a  maximum  of  49    per   cent,  at  the  next  census, 
followed  by  a  diminution  for  two  decades.     Then  in  1870  it 
rose  again  to  49  per  cent.,  since  which  time  it  has  diminished 
rapidly,  especially  during  the  decade  between  1880  and  1890. 
The  history  of  Alabama  commenced  in  1820,  when  one-third 
of  her  people  were  negroes.     The  proportion  increased  up  to 
1870,  and  since  then  has  diminished.     Mississippi's  history 
began  in  1800,  when  41  per  cent,  of  her  people  were  negroes, 
and  with  some  slight  oscillations  the  proportion  has  increased 
up  to  the  present  time.    The  history  of  Louisiana  commenced 
in  1810,  when  55  per  cent,  of  her  population  were  negroes. 
Her  history  has  been  a  diversified  one,  the  maximum  propor- 
tion of  this  race  being  reached  in  1830  with  59  \)eT  cent. 
Since  that  time  it  has,  on  the  whole,  diminished,  and  in  1890 
half  the  people  of  the  State  were  negroes.     The  history  of 
Texas  began  in  1850,  when  28  per  cent,  of  her  people  were 
negroes.     The  proportion  increased  for  two  decades,  when  it 
reached  31  per  cent.     Since  that  time  it  has  diminished 
rapidly,  owing  largely  to  immigration  to  the  central  parts  of 
the  state.     The  history  of  Arkansas  begins  in  1820,  when  a 
little  less  than  one-eighth  of  its  people  were  negroes.     The 
proportion  has  increased  almost  continuously  from  that  time 
to  the  present,  and  in  1890  the  negroes  formed  27  per  cent, 
of  the  total  population. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  in  the  cotton  states  the  proportion  of 
the  negro  element  has  in  nearly  all  cases  increased  until  a 
very  recent  time.  Indeed,  in  two  or  three  of  them  it  has 
increased  up  to  the  time  of  the  last  census,  while  in  most  of 
them  the  only  diminution  in  the  proportion  has  occurred 
during  the  last  ten  years.  All  this  indicates  in  the  most 
unmistakable  terms  a  general  southward  migration  of  this 
race.  As  compared  with  the  whites,  the  border  states  have 
lost  in  proportion  of  negroes  for  the  past  half-century, 
while  the  cotton  states  have  continued  to  gain  until  very 
recently. 


HISTORY   OF   THE   NEGRO   IN   EACH   SLAVE   STATE.      21 


1—1 


<M   lO   (M 


c^  CO  CO  c^ 


»2  oo  T-;  M  eo  CO 


CO  e*'  c^  iM  i-t 


CO   O^   (M   CI   rH 


<^^   (M   Cq   (M   (M   rH 


CO  CO  c^j  lo 


t^   (M   (Xi   ''^ 


CO  r-J 
CO  O 
ITS  lO 


=  S 


P   ^   « 


60 


;^  M  o 


-<  S  h:i  H  <1 


22      statistical  sketch  of  the  negroes  ix  u.  s. 

Details  of  Movements  of  Negroes  between  1880 
AND  1890. 

The  map  upon  Plate  VI  shows  the  movements  of  this 
race  in  detail  during  the  ten  years  between  1880  and  1890, 
within  the  former  slave  states.  The  northern  part  of  Mis- 
souri and  western  Texas  are  not  represented  upon  this  map, 
inasmuch  as  the  number  of  negroes  in  these  regions  is  not 
large. 

The  areas  upon  this  map  which  have  the  darkest  shade  are 
those  in  which  the  number  of  negroes  has  absolutely  dimin- 
ished during  the  decade  in  question.  The  areas  in  the  light- 
est tint  are  those  in  which  the  negroes  have  increased,  but  at  a 
rate  less  than  the  increase  of  the  same  element  in  the  country 
at  large.  The  areas  of  medium  tint  are  those  in  which  the 
negroes  have  increased  more  rapidly  than  in  the  country  at 
large. 

It  is  seen  at  once  that  the  areas  in  which  the  negroes  have 
decreased  are  mainly  comprised  in  the  northern  of  thes;i 
states,  principally  in  Delaware,  IMaryland,  Virginia,  Ken-' 
tucky,  and  Missouri,  and  secondarily  in  Tennessee  and  Nort^ 
Carolina.  There  are  also  areas  of  decrease  in  Texas  and 
small  areas  in  the  other  states,  but  these  are  of  little  import- 
ance in  comparison  with  the  great  areas  of  the  border  states 
in  M'hich  the  number  of  negroes  has  actually  diminished. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  areas  in  which  the  negroes  have 
increased  more  rapidly  than  in  the  country  at  large  are  found 
mainly  in  the  southern  parts  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia, 
Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  eastern  Texas,  with  nearly  all  of 
Arkansas  and  Florida.  In  other  words,  the  most  rapid 
increase  of  the  race  has  been  in  the  southern  and  western 
parts  of  the  region  under  consideration.  There  does  not 
appear  to  be  any  decided  movement  into  the  "  Black  Belt," 
which  traverses  the  central  part  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia, 
Alabama,  and  Mississippi.  Indeed,  the  heaviest  increase  is 
south  of  this  region. 


mortality.  23 

Conjugal  Condition. 

The  conjugal  condition  of  the  negroes  is  set  forth  for  the  first 
time  in  the  reports  of  the  Eleventh  Census.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  matter  of  divorce,  it  is  summarized  in  the  following 
diagram  (Plate  YII).  This  shows  the  proportion  of  males  and 
females  at  various  ages  who  were  single,  married  or  widowed. 
It  shows  that  under  the  age  of  15  there  are  practically  no 
marriages  among  the  race.  Between  15  arid  20  a  small  pro- 
portion, perhaps  about  one  per  cent.,  of  males  were  married 
and  14  per  cent,  of  the  females.  At^ages  between  20  and  25 
a  third  of  the  males  and  nearly  three-fifths  of  the  females 
were  married,  and  with  advancing  age  a  constantly  increasing 
proportion  of  both  sexes  is  either  married  or  widowed.  It 
is  evident,  however,  that  the  women  marry  much  younger 
than  men.  The  proportion  of  widowed  first  becomes  appre- 
ciable between  the  ages  of  20  and  25  years.  It  increases 
much  more  rapidly  among  females  than  among  males,  and 
altogether  the  proportion  of  widows  is  many  times  greater 
than  that  of  widowers,  showing  that  many  more  widowers 
remarry  than  widows,  and  that  they  marry  largely  unmarried 
women. 

Comparison  of  conjugal  statistics  of  the  negroes  with  those 
of  the  whites  develops  two  points  of  difference.  First,  that 
the  negroes  marry  younger  than  the  whites ;  second,  that  the 
proportion  of  widows  at  most  ages  is  greater  than  among 
whites.  The  first  of  these  facts  is  in  accord  with  the  shorter 
life-period  of  the  race;  the  second  is  a  result  of  the  greater 
death-rate  of  the  race. 

Statistics  of  divorce  show  more  frequent  severance  of  con- 
jugal relations  among  the  negroes  than  among  the  whites. 
The  proportion  of  divorced  persons  to  married  persons  in  the 
United  States  at  large  among  the  native  whites  was  0.59  of 
1  per  cent.,  while  among  the  negroes  it  was  0.67  of  1  per  cent. 

Mortality. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  rate  of  mortality  among 
the  negro  population  is  considerably  greater  than  among  the 


24        STATISTICAL   SKETCH   OP  THE  NEGROES   IN   U.  S. 

whites.  It  is  not  easy,  however,  to  obtain  an  accurate  measure 
of  the  relative  death-rates  of  the  two  races.  The  census 
statistics  upon  this  subject  are  unreliable,  since  the  returns 
from  which  they  are  derived  are  by  no  means  complete. 
Were  the  omissions  uniformly  distributed  between  the  two 
races,  we  might  still  derive  a  comparison  from  them  regard- 
ing the  death-rates  of  the  two  races,  but  unfortunately  there 
is  every  probability  that  the  omissions  are  much  greater  pro- 
portionally among  the  negroes  than  among  the  whites.  It  is 
only  in  a  few  large  southern  cities  which  maintain  a  regis- 
tration of  deaths  that  reliable  figures  are  to  be  had.  In 
these  cities  the  relative  death-rates  during  the  census  year 
(1890)  are  shown  in  the  following  table: 

Total  Native 

Population.  Whites.  Negroes. 

St.  Louis 19  17  35 

Baltimore 25  22  36 

New  Orleans 28  22  37 

Washington 26  19  38 

Louisville 22  18  32 

From  these  figures  it  appears  that  in  the  large  cities  the 
annual  death-rate  of  the  negroes  is  very  nearly  if  not  quite 
double  that  of  the  native  whites.  It  is  probable  that  in  the 
rural  districts  the  disproportion  among  the  death-rates  is  not 
as  great,  since  it  is  probable  that  a  rural  environment  is  better 
suited  to  the  negroes  than  the  environment  of  a  large  city. 
However  this  may  be,  there  is.  no  reasonable  question,  as 
stated  above,  that  the  death-rate  of  the  negroes  is  much 
larger  than  that  of  the  whites. 

Ceiminality. 

The  proportion  of  criminals  among  the  negroes  is  much 
greater  than  among  the  whites.  The  statistics  of  the  last 
census  show  that  the  white  prisoners  of  native  extraction 
confined  in  jails  at  the  time  the  census  was  taken  were  in  the 
proportion  of  9  to  each  10,000  of  all  whites  of  native  extrac- 
tion, while  the  negro  prisoners  were  in  the  proportion  of  33 


O         en  o  tJi 

-  to  po  OJ 

oi  o         cn  O 


-^ 

-   — 

. 

-v^i 

5^" 

7- 

-.. :.  :■  i 

^i 

"h 

",::i 

> 

'= 

-V 

-^ 

% 

- 

'EE^. 

EE: 

^ 

z: 

:E 

'-E 

EEz 

Z^ 

EEE. 

:i:::;i 

iEEi 

—"-" 

:zr::: 

:: 

":~ 

^^' 

-rz~ 

-    - 

Z^ 

- 



ti 

^N 

:-"r:r: 

1 

^ 

z= 

== 

= 

E 



^^ 

=^I 

*>— 



=iE 

— 

)» 

-^ 

e:^ 

EEr 

E-: 

i':z;;' 

:=.::: 

"/n; 





— - 

^ 

_:-:-.;::i 

— 

zr." 

------ 

-~- 

^ 

zzz- 

E^E 



_.^ 

t= 

'EE: 

;;:;,::::; 

ji 

- 



zs:::z 

r_7Tr 







o 

— 

;z=. 

z:i'~- 

z:— 

t 

X^ 



:ee 



^:— 

^ 

*^_ 

-- 

"= 

9  » 


ILLITERACY   AND    EDUCATION.  25 

to  each  10,000  of  the  negro  population.  Thus  it  appears 
that  the  proportion  of  negroes  was  nearly  four  times  as  great 
as  for  the  whites  of  native  extraction.  It  should  be  added, 
however,  that  the  commitments  of  negroes  are  for  petty 
offenses  in  much  greater  proportion  than  among  the  whites. 

Pauperism. 

In  respect  to  pauperism,  the  investigations  of  the  census 
have  been  confined  to  paupers  maintained  in  almshouses  and 
have  not  been  extended  to  those  persons  receiving  outdoor 
relief,  either  permanent  or  temporary.  The  number  of  white 
paupers  of  native  extraction  in  almshouses  was  found  to  be 
in  the  proportion  of  8  to  every  10,000  whites  of  native 
extraction,  while  the  negro  paupers  were  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. Lest  these  figures  should  mislead,  however,  it  must 
be  added  to  this  statement  that  in  the  south  but  little  pro- 
vision is  made  in  the  form  of  almshouses  for  the  relief  of  the 
poor,  this  provision  being  confined  almost  entirely  to  the 
northern  part  of  the  country,  a  fact  which  in  itself  explains 
the  small  proportion  of  the  negro  paupers  in  almshouses. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  to 
any  resident  of  a  southern  city  that  the  negroes  form  a 
disproportionately  large  element  of  the  recipients  of  outdoor 
charity. 

Illiteracy  and  Education. 

Of  the  progress  of  the  negro  race  in  education,  the  statis- 
tics are  by  no  means  as  full  and  comprehensive  as  is  desirable. 
Such  as  we  possess,  however,  go  to  indicate  a  remarkably 
rapid  progress  of  the  race  in  the  elements  of  education. 
During  the  prevalence  of  slavery  this  race  was  kept  in 
ignorance.  Indeed,  generally  throughout  the  south  it  was 
held  as  a  crime  to  teach  the  negroes  to  read  and  write,  and 
naturally  when  they  became  freemen  only  a  trifling  propor- 
tion of  them  were  acquainted  with  these  elements  of  education. 
In  1870,  five  years  after  they  became  free,  the  records  of  the 
census  show  that  only  two-tenths  of  all  the  negroes  over  ten 


26        STATISTICAL  SKETCH   OF  THE  NEGROES   IN   U.  S. 

years  of  age  in  the  country  could  write.  Ten  years  later  the 
proportion  had  increased  to  three-tenths  of  the  whole  number, 
and  in  1890,  only  a  generation  after  they  were  emancipated, 
not  less  than  43  out  of  every  hundred  negroes,  of  ten  years 
of  age  and  over,  were  able  to  read  and  write.  These  figures 
show  a  remarkably  rapid  progress  in  elementary  education. 

In  1860  the  number  of  negroes  who  were  enrolled  in  the 
schools  of  the  south  was  absolutely  trifling.  Since  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  the  number  has  increased  with  the  greatest 
rapidity.  This  is  shown  in  the  following  table,  which  relates 
only  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  former  slave  states.  The  first 
column  shows  the  proportion  which  the  number  of  white 
children  enrolled  in  the  public  schools  bore  to  the  white 
population,  and  the  second  column  the  proportion  which  the 
number  of  negro  children  in  the  public  schools  bore  to  the 
total  negro  population  of  these  states. 

White.  Negro. 

1870 13.50  3.07 

1880 18.33  13.07 

1890 21.92  18.71 

It  is  seen  from  the  above  table  that  in  1870  the  white 
pupils  constituted  13.5  per  cent,  of  the  white  population,  and 
that  in  20  years  this  proportion  increased  to  nearly  22  per 
cent.  On  the  other  hand,  the  negro  school  children  consti- 
tuted in  1870  only  3  per  cent,  of  all  negroes,  but  that  in  20 
years  it  has  increased  to  nearly  19  per  cent,  of  all  negroes. 
The  proportion  of  negro  school  children  increased  at  a  far 
more  rapid  rate  than  that  of  the  white  school  children,  and 
in  1890  had  nearly  reached  it. 

The  following  table  shows  the  proportion  of  school  enroll- 
ment to  population  in  1890  in  each  of  these  states: 


ILLITERACY    AND   EDUCATION.  27 

Per  Cent,  of 
Enrollment  to 
Population. 

White.  Negro. 

Delaware 19.12  16.38 

Maryland 17.93  16.69 

District  of  Columbia 15.24  17.61 

Virginia 21.59  19.20 

"West  Virginia 25.58  20.04 

North  Carolina 19.79  20.80 

South  Carolina 19.49  16.46 

Georgia 21.40  15.51 

Florida     24.37  21.85 

Kentucky 22.27  20.40 

Tennessee 26.49  23.58 

Alabama 22.40  17.10 

Mississippi 27.71  24.60 

Louisiana 13.43  8.82 

Texas 21.06  22.21 

Arkansas 19.98  19.22 

Missouri 23.24  21.76 

An  examination  of  this  table  shows  that  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  North  Carolina,  and  Texas  the  proportional  enroll- 
ment of  negroes  was  greater  than  that  of  the  whites,  while  in 
the  other  states  it  was  less. 

The  following  table  shows  the  rate  of  increase  in  the  enroll- 
ment in  each  of  these  states  from  1880  to  1890  : 

Per  Cent. 

White.  Negro. 

Delaware ,   .   .   .   .  10.75  108.42 

Maryland 20.07  35.78 

District  of  Columbia 27.62  67.34 

Virginia 44.44  78.77 

West  Virginia 33.68  59.72 

North  Carolina 29.51  22.97 

South  Carolina 45.64  55.33 

Georgia 39.09  53.81 

Florida 98.07  132.71 

Kentucky 34.44  89.20 

Tennessee 53.88  65.56 

Alabama 66.95  53.52 

Mississippi 30.75  50.66 

Louisiana 61.72  42.56 

Texas        179.36  143.65 

Arkansas 101.08  121.29 

Missouri 27.18  36.42 


28        STATISTICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   NEGROES   IX    U.  8. 

From  this  table  it  appears  that  in  all  excepting  four  states, 
namely,  North  Carolina,  Alabama,  Louisiana,  and  Texas,  the 
enrollment  of  negro  children  in  the  public  schools  has 
increased  more  rapidly  than  has  that  of  the  whites. 

Summing  up  this  article  in  a  paragraph,  the  following 
conclusions  may  be  stated  : 

The  negroes,  while  increasing  rapidly  in  this  country,  are 
diminishing  in  numbers  relative  to  the  whites. 

They  are  moving  southward  from  the  border  states  into 
those  of  the  south  Atlantic  and  the  Gulf. 

They  prefer  rural  life  rather  than  urban  life. 

The  proportion  of  criminals  among  the  negroes  is  much 
greater  than  among  the  whites,  and  that  of  paupers  is  at 
least  as  great. 

In  the  matter  of  education,  the  number  of  negro  attendants 
at  school  is  far  behind  the  number  of  whites,  but  is  gaining 
rapidly  upon  that  race. 

Only  one  generation  has  elapsed  since  the  slaves  were 
freed.  To  raise  a  people  from  slavery  to  civilization  is  a 
matter,  not  of  years,  but  of  many  generations.  The  progress 
which  the  race  has  made  in  this  generation  in  industry, 
morality,  and  education  is  a  source  of  the  highest  gratification 
to  all  friends  of  the  race,  to  all  excepting  those  who  expected 
a  miraculous  conversion. 


THE  PRIEDENWAIiD  CO.,  PRINTERS, 
BAL,TIMORE,  MD. 


ri 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N  C   AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

iiiiir  " 


